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Ukrainian PM admits impossible to sever train connection with Russia

Vladimir Groysman dubbed the issue of traffic to/from Russia as "sensitive"

Ukrainian Prime Minister Vladimir Groysman EPA-EFE/SERGEY DOLZHENKO

Ukrainian Prime Minister Vladimir Groysman

© EPA-EFE/SERGEY DOLZHENKO

KIEV, July 13. /TASS/. Ukraine cannot completely cut off all rail traffic with Russia due to transit commitments to the European Union, Ukrainian Prime Minister Vladimir Groysman admitted on Saturday.

"We cannot just instantaneously sever traffic between Ukraine and Russia, even rail traffic, when transit goods are transported into the European Union, because we have assumed international commitments to the EU, including the Association Agreement," the prime minister stated in a speech aired by the Ukrainian television channel Nash.

Groysman described the issue of traffic to and from Russia as "sensitive." However, he added that flights to Russia were not supposed to be resumed, since Russia is an adversary, according to the Ukrainian prime minister.

Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Vladimir Omelyan said in early August 2018 that the country had plans to stop train traffic to and from Russia. Later, Omelyan explained that the Infrastructure Ministry was planning to stop passenger rail traffic from Russia, while freight rail traffic would not be affected.

In 2018, the Ukrainian Railways company cancelled direct train lines running between Ivano-Frankovsk, Chernovtsy, Kremenchug and Chernigov and Russian cities. The Kiev-Moscow train route generated the highest revenues for the Ukrainian Railways.

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